Skeptics are a strange lot.Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the
environment, and they are tired of people who disagree with them.Those people, say skeptics, spread
nothing but bad news about the environment.The "ecoguilt" brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews.
       Perhaps that explains why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg received so much publicity.That book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, declares that it measures the "real state of the world" as fine.Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets of some big businesses with special interests.Indeed, Mr Lomborg's
views are similar to those of some industryfunded organizations, which start huge activities through the
media to confuse the public about issues like global warming.
      So it was strange to see MrLomborg's book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs
were contrary to most scientific opinions.One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and
reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that "After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down."
      Such onesided views should have immediately been challenged.But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership.The review remarked that Mr Lomborg's "preference for unexamined materials is incredible (不可信的)".
     A critical (批判的) eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could
allow people to make informed decisions.Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the
desire to be shocking or to defend some special interests.People might become halfblind before a world
partially exhibited by the media.That's a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly.

1. According to the passage, which of the following may be regarded as "skeptics" ?

A. People who agree on the popularity of "ecoguilt". 
B. People who disbelieve the serious situation of our planet.
C. People who dislike the harmful effect of human activities.
D. People who spread comforting news to protect our environment.

2. Which of the following can be a reason for the popularity of Lomborg's book?

A. Some big businesses intend to protect their own interests.
B. The book challenges views about the fine state of the world.
C. The author convinces people to seek comforting worldviews.
D. Industryfunded media present confusing information.

3. The author mentioned the review in Nature in order to ________.

A. voice a different opinion
B. find fault with Lomborg's book
C. challenge the authority of the media
D. point out the value of scientific views

4. What is the author's main purpose in writing the passage?

A. To encourage the skeptics to have a critical eye.
B. To warn the public of the danger of halfblindness with reviews.
C. To blame the media's lack of responsibility in presenting information.
D. To show the importance of presenting overall information by the media.

     We know the famous ones-the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells-but what about the
less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper
(雨刮器)? Shouldn't we know who they are?
     Joan McLean thinks so. In fact, McLean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range,
feels so strongly about this matter that she's developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning "who"
invented "what", however, McLean also likes her students to learn the answers to the "why" and "how"
questions. According to McLean, "When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better
prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try. "
     Her students agree. One young man with a patent for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of
McLean's statement. "If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper's invention," said Tommy Lee,
a senior physics major, "I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm
into something so constructive. " Lee is currently negotiating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer.
     So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea
in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see
the sights,so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the
snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn't be a builtin device for
cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama,
Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever (操作桿) on the inside of a vehicle
that would control an arm on the outside,became the first windshield wiper.
     Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations. It's hard to imagine driving without
Garrett A. Morgan's traffic light. It's equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J.
Blodgett's innovation that makes glass invisible. Can you picture life without clear windows and
eyeglasses?

1. By mentioning "traffic light" and "windshield wiper", the author indicates that countless inventions
are ________.

A. beneficial, because their inventors are famous
B. beneficial, though their inventors are less famous
C. not useful, because their inventors are less famous
D. not useful, though their inventors are famous

2. Professor Joan McLean's course aims to ________.

A. add colour and variety to students' campus life
B. inform students of the windshield wiper's invention
C. carry out the requirements by Mountain University
D. prepare students to try their own inventions

3. Tommy Lee's invention of the unbreakable umbrella was ________.

A. not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer
B. inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper
C. due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm
D. not related to Professor Joan McLean's lectures

4. Which of the following can best serve as the title of this passage?

A. How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers?
B. How to Design a Builtin Device for Cleaning the Window?
C. Shouldn't We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper?
D. Shouldn't We Develop Invention Courses in Universities?

     The opinion of many engineers is that the architects that designed the New York World Trade Center
Twin Towers did a good job in designing the buildings. The buildings were safe from the hazards
envisioned (預(yù)想到的) at the time. Indeed, they were designed to withstand the force of aircraft that might crash into them. They were not however, designed to withstand the effects of the very high temperatures
produced by the ignition (點(diǎn)燃) of aviation fuel carried by the aircraft.
     Steel lightly covered with concrete is the main structural part of the towers and steel loses a lot of
structural strength when heated to 1100 degrees Centigrade and beyond, as it was. To protect the steel the towers beams were coated with a few centimeters of concrete. That insulation (隔離) was to provide
structural state of being complete for at least 1 hour of fire. The towers met that test. The south tower
lasted 62minutes. The north, 103 minutes. Tragedy followed when not all could escape before the
collapse.
     Most experts agree that the Twin Towers were very well designed. Many also agree that the people
planning the attacks were very knowledgeable and aimed the aircraft at a height that would produce the
most damage. The aircraft crash and the resulting fuel fed fires were aimed at about the 90th floor. That
was just high enough to insure that the upper floors would weaken with the heat and crack down, dropping into the remaining part of the building.
     The mass of the falling top floors created such a falling load that some experts estimate it exceeded by 5 to 10 times normal bearing loads. The effect was like a giant hammer, each floor contributing more weight
to be born by the next floor down.
     Were the Trade Towers well designed? Engineers say yes. But, the public holds to the belief that
architects will never again design a tall building without considering the effects of terrorist attacks of all
potential kinds. That not only includes the ability of the structure to withstand attack but the means to allow the buildings occupants to escape in time to survive.

1. Many engineers believe that the Twin Tower was well-designed after September 11 because _________________.

A. it could withstand aircraft crashing into it at the moment
B. it could withstand any natural hazards such as earthquake or fire
C. it had an attracting and beautiful appearance until they were destroyed
D. they had the miserable honor of being selected as the target of terrorist attack

2.  According to the article, those who designed the tower could have done better if _______.

A. the tower lasted longer after being attacked
B. the tower held stable until all of the people in there managed to escape
C. the tower can be immune to such attacks
D. they considered more about the effects of the very high temperatures and made duel(決定性的) 
changes in the structure

3. The part of the building below 90th floor _____________.

A.  remained where they were              
B. cracked down because of the burning
C. was hammered down by the falling upper part  
D. was safe after the attack

4. The author believed that the Twin Towers ____________.

A. were not well- designed                
B. were well-designed
C. were good examples for engineers of our time
D. were out of consideration when we talk about engineering later

     The first tape recorder didn't use tape. It used long thin wire. It was invented in 1900 by Valdermar
Poulsen. In 1930, German scientists invented the tape we use today. Back then the tape was on big rolls.
In 1964 the Philips company in Holland invented the cassette. It's pretty much a holder for the tape.
People use cassettes all over the world. If you don't have a cassette recorder, borrow one.
     Think of a book your parents read out loud to you. That might be a great book to read out loud to your
mom or dad in their car. Put a cassette in the recorder, open the book, hit the record button and start
reading out loud.
     Remember there is no such a thing as a wrong way to do this. You might think you've made a mistake,
but this gift is part of you, and nothing about that can be a mistake. It's impossible.
     You get to be all artistic and creative here. You might want to play music in the background. Do
whatever you want. The gift is you, so you decide. Remember to say "I love you"at the end of your
reading. That's like the prize at the end of the book. 

1: Choose the right order that shows the development of the tape recorder. 
   a. Using big rolls.   b. Using cassettes.    c. Using thin wire.

A. a,b,c  
B. b,c,a  
C. c,a,b    
D. c,b,a

2. Why does the author mention the history of tape recorders in Paragraph 1?

A. To inform readers of new inventions.
B. To lead into his following suggestion.
C. To give an example of his suggestion.
D. To show the importance of tape recorders

3. What does the author advise us to do?

A. To read a book to our parents in their car  
B. To ask our parents to record a book.
C. To make a gift for our parents.    
D. To practice reading out loud.

4. Why does the author say it is impossible to make a mistake in Paragraph 3?

A. Because the tape shows your true love.  
B. Because it's easy to use a tape recorder. 
C. Because the music is what your parents like.
D. Because it's impossible to find a mistake in the book.

     I love science and science fiction. Like many science fiction fans, I am fascinated by the
possibility of time travel. However, one must combine romance with reasoning and look into
the chances of time travel critically.
     First of all, we must remember the whole universe is in motion. If we want to go back
to yesterday, our "time machine" has to move back in time and space. If someone claimed
he was at home when he suddenly travelled 200 years back in time, he either had an illusion
or made the story up. Two hundred years ago, Earth was in a different place in space, so
how can you travel back 200 years without moving in space? Don't get me wrong. I am not
knocking the genius of science fiction writers. H.G. Wells's "The Time Machine" is a great
work of fiction, but that's all. I have read many other time travelling science fiction stories
since reading H.G. Wells, but none address this problem of displacement.
     My own argument for the impossibility of time travel is that physical states of the past no
longer exist and those of the future are not here yet. To be able to move back and forth in
time requires everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen everywhere in the
whole universe at every single moment in time－past, present, and future－to be stored as
a "reality" somewhere－like the save game file of a computer game that contains every single
byte of information of the game at the point it was saved, but you would need an almost
extremely large file and almost extremely many of them－so it can be re-entered and
communicated with, and not just light signals for viewing. To me, I don't buy it.

1. Which of the following can be the best title?

A. How to make time travel possible?
B. Why am I fascinated by time travel?
C. Why do I think time travel is not possible?
D. How to explain the possibility of time travel?

2. What's the meaning of the underlined word "illusion"?

A. success
B. dream
C. switch
D. support

3. According to the author, which of the following is RIGHT?

A. We can go back to the past by time travel.
B. People can travel to the future by moving in space.
C. "The Time Machine" is nothing more than a science fiction.
D. Everything that happened, is happening and will happen can be stored somewhere.

4. In the author's opinion, time travel might be possible if .

A. people could combine romance with reasoning
B. people could stop the movement of the whole universe
C. people could use time machine under the instruction of H.G. Wells
D. people could "save" everything in the past, present and future in a certain space

     You're in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater.You listen to their conversation:
     "I can't believe it-Lorenzo Bertolla! They are almost impossible to find.Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lot
cheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome."
     They leave and you go over to see this incredible sweater.It's nice and the price is right.You've never
heard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish.They must know.So, you buy it.You never
realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency.They are actually paid to go from
store to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes.
     Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating.If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too.This is the secret of undercover marketing.Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to
use it.
     Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional
advertising.This is particularly true of the MTV generation-consumers between the age of 18 and 34.It's a golden group.They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads.
     So advertising agencies hire young actors to "perform" in bars and other places where young adults go.Some people might call this practice misleading, but marketing executive Jonathan Ressler calls it
creative."Look at traditional advertising.Its effectiveness is decreasing." It is true, because everyone knows an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something.However, you don't know when a conversation you overhear is just a performance.

1. The two attractive young women were talking so as to ______.                          
A. get the sweater at a lower price                                                      
B. be heard by people around                                                              
C. be admired by other shoppers                                                          
D. decide on buying the sweater                                                          
2. Lorenzo Bertolla is ________.                                                          
A. a very popular male singer                                                            
B. an advertising agency                                                                  
C. a clothing company in Rome                                                            
D. the brand name of clothes                                                              
3. What can we infer from the passage?                                                    
A. Traditional advertising will soon disappear in the market.                            
B. The MTV generation tends to be more easily influenced by all kinds of ads.            
C. That traditional advertising is too direct may lead to its decreasing effectiveness.  
D. Undercover marketing will surely be banned soon by the government.                    
4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?                        
A. Two Attractive Shoppers                                                                
B. Lorenzo Bertolla Sweaters                                                              
C. Ways of Advertising                                                                    
D. Undercover Marketing